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Economic Energy Most Expensive Electric Utility in Alabama: Pioneer Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Alaska: Middle Kuskokwim Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Arizona: Electrical District No. 3 Pinal County Most Expensive Electric Utility in Arkansas: City of North Little Rock Most Expensive Electric Utility in California: Bear Valley Electric Services Most Expensive Electric Utility in Colorado: Southwestern Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Connecticut: United Illuminating Most Expensive Electric Utility in Delaware: City of Lewes Most Expensive Electric Utility in Florida: City of Fort Meade Most Expensive Electric Utility in Georgia: Haywood Electric Member Corp. Most Expensive Electric Utility in Hawaii: Hawaii Electric Light Most Expensive Electric Utility in Idaho: Vigilante Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Illinois: EnerStar Power Most Expensive Electric Utility in Indiana: Marshall County Rural Electric Member Corp. Most Expensive Electric Utility in Iowa: City of Independence Most Expensive Electric Utility in Kansas: City of Erie Most Expensive Electric Utility in Kentucky: Hickman-Fulton Counties RECC Most Expensive Electric Utility in Louisiana: Town of Boyce Most Expensive Electric Utility in Maine: Matinicus Plantation Electric Most Expensive Electric Utility in Maryland: Town of Berlin Most Expensive Electric Utility in Massachusetts: Town of Princeton Most Expensive Electric Utility in Michigan: Ontonagon County Rural Electrification Assn. Most Expensive Electric Utility in Minnesota: Princeton Public Utilities Commission Most Expensive Electric Utility in Mississippi: Twin County Electric Power Assn. Most Expensive Electric Utility in Missouri: City of Campbell Most Expensive Electric Utility in Montana: Beartooth Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Nebraska: Wyrulec Most Expensive Electric Utility in Nevada: Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in New Hampshire: New Hampshire Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in New Jersey: Borough of South River Most Expensive Electric Utility in New Mexico: Southwestern Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in New York: Fishers Island Utility Most Expensive Electric Utility in North Carolina: Town of Hobgood Most Expensive Electric Utility in North Dakota: Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Ohio: Village of Sycamore Most Expensive Electric Utility in Oklahoma: Southwestern Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Oregon: West Oregon Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Pennsylvania: Borough of St. Clair Most Expensive Electric Utility in Rhode Island: Block Island Power Most Expensive Electric Utility in South Carolina: Haywood Electric Member Corp. Most Expensive Electric Utility in South Dakota: Niobrara Electric Association Most Expensive Electric Utility in Tennessee: French Broad Electric Membership Corp. Most Expensive Electric Utility in Texas: Southwestern Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Utah: Empire Electric Association Most Expensive Electric Utility in Vermont: Vermont Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Virginia: Southside Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Washington: Orcas Power Light Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in West Virginia: Harrison Rural Electrification Assn. Most Expensive Electric Utility in Wisconsin: Washington Island Electric Cooperative Most Expensive Electric Utility in Wyoming: Wyrulec

Economic Energy

By Venessa Wong

As summer swelters on and air-conditioners work overtime, Americans everywhere can expect to get hit by bigger electricity bills than usual. That’s because electricity prices, which crept up earlier this year, are expected to continue climbing through 2011. The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects the average price of residential electricity to rise 2.9 percent, from 11.6¢ per kilowatt hour in 2010 to 11.9¢ per kilowatt hour. In 2012, annual growth is forecast to slow to 0.6 percent. The hike may seem significant, yet customers of some electric utilities are accustomed to paying more. Businessweek.com ranked the most expensive utility in each state using data on 3,076 utilities provided by the U.S. Energy Information Administration from 2009, the most recent annual survey of all utilities in the U.S. (the agency also conducts a smaller monthly survey of about 500 utilities). In states where the most expensive utility serves only a small number of residential customers, Businessweek.com also provides the next most expensive utility with more than 1,000 residential customers. Prices tended to be high in areas with small populations, rural areas, and cities with high operating costs. Hawaii had the highest average residential price of electricity, at 24.2¢ per kilowatt hour in 2009, compared with a U.S. average of 11.51¢, followed by Connecticut and New York, the EIA data show. Average prices were the lowest in North Dakota, Washington, and Idaho.

Click here to see the most expensive electric utility in each state.
Photographer: Lars Baron/Getty Images